A service provider (SP) network typically comprises a number of different types of computer networks interconnected to one another. One type of network, referred to as an access network enables so-called “customer premises equipment” or “CPE” (which may also be referred to as “subscriber devices”) to access the service provider network, which often connects to a large number of public networks generally referred to collectively as the “Internet.” CPE may include Internet-ready televisions, non-Internet-ready televisions, set-top boxes (STBs), gaming consoles, personal media players, digital video disc (DVD) players, Blu-ray players, desktop computers, laptop computers, slate or tablet computers, wireless telephones (including so-called “smart phones”), global positioning system (GPS) devices, wireless access points (WAPs), switches, hubs, printers, servers, and any other similar devices commonly employed by customers to access one or more of the services provided by service provider network.
Recently, service providers have begun upgrading access networks to support a layer two (L2) protocol referred to as Ethernet, where reference to layers followed by a number refers to an indicated layer of an Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. Prior to this upgrade, access networks provided access through a passive optical network (PON) infrastructure, such as a gigabyte PON (GPON) infrastructure, a digital subscriber line (DSL) infrastructure or a data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) compliant infrastructure. In deploying this form of Ethernet-based access network, so-called “demarcation point devices” or “DPDs” are provided to each customer network connected to the service provider network so as to transition the connection from, for example, a fiber link in the instance of an active Ethernet (AE) optical network to a copper line and/or coaxial cables prevalent in most customer networks. These DPDs couple to an Ethernet aggregation device, such as an Ethernet switch, that is also located at the customer network. The Ethernet switch aggregates Ethernet traffic from multiple sources and outputs upstream (i.e., from the customer networks to the SP network) traffic from the DPDs for delivery upstream to a router located in the access network.
There are generally two different types of DPDs. A first type of DPD comprises a device that does not require any management or provisioning and which provides basic services in terms of converting traffic for delivery via a first physical medium (e.g., a fiber link) to a second physical medium (e.g., copper line) and via the second physical medium to the first physical medium. This first type of DPD may be referred to as a “basic” DPD in that it does not require active management or provisioning. This basic DPD is commonly paired with an Ethernet switch that has been adapted or enhanced to provide access functionality. The second type of DPD comprises a device that has been specifically designed to provide Ethernet access, which may be referred to as an “advanced” DPD in that this DPD is more advanced in terms of its capabilities with regard to Ethernet access. The advanced DPDs may be provisioned remotely via a management device or provisioning system. The advanced DPDs are generally paired with a more basic Ethernet aggregation device. Typically, the basic DPD/enhanced Ethernet aggregation device pairing is difficult to provision remotely via a back office provisioning system. The basic DPD does not support this functionality (indeed, basic DPDs are generally designed such that provisioning is not required), while the enhanced Ethernet aggregation devices are typically not designed to be to be integrated with back office systems as they were not customarily used as access nodes.